The Chess Mind

Earlier in the week I presented this position from a local event:



It's Black to move here, and this battle of the B-players continued in the way you can see here. I recommended, and still recommend, that interested readers look through this ending first and try to figure out what should have happened. There were mistakes aplenty in the game, and trying to discover them in analysis is a good way to avoid making them for ourselves in the context of a game. My own findings, which you can replay for entertainment, instruction, or to compare notes, are here.

A couple of days I presented this position



and suggested that White was in bad shape. (Not that you needed anyone to tell you!) He's a pawn down, his d-pawn needs constant supervision, and the threat of ...h6-h5 looks likely to stretch his meager resources too thin. And yet, the position really can be saved, as you can see for yourself (if you haven't already figured it out) by clicking here.

This is a position from a recent quad at one of the local clubs; it's Black to move.



First, I recommend to those who are interested that they do their best to figure out what's going on here. Next, have a look at the remaining moves, here. Try to find all the improvements you can; believe me, there are plenty (some obvious, some less so), so it's going to be a fun exercise. I'll offer my analysis in a few days.

(N.B. I'm not blocking comments on this exercise, but I'd still prefer that readers not post their analysis of this ending. You're more than welcome to add your further ideas or corrections when I post my own analysis later this week.)

In the following position, White is a pawn down and in bad shape. His d-pawn requires constant supervision, and Black is ready to get his kingside majority rolling with ...h5. What can White, to move, do?



The answer will be provided in a day or two.